1. Field of Art
This description generally relates to surgical robotics, and particularly to a robotics system configurable for a variety of surgical procedures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Robotic technologies have a range of applications. In particular, robotic arms help complete tasks that a human would normally perform. For example, factories use robotic arms to manufacture automobiles and consumer electronics products. Additionally, scientific facilities use robotic arms to automate laboratory procedures such as transporting microplates. Recently, physicians have started using robotic arms to help perform surgical procedures. For instance, physicians use robotic arms to control surgical instruments inside a patient. However, existing medical systems including robotic arms have a high capital cost and are typically specialized to perform limited types of surgical procedures. Thus, physicians or their assistants may need to obtain multiple robotic arm systems to accommodate a range of surgical procedures. Manually reconfiguring a robotic arm system for each surgical procedure is also time-consuming and physically demanding for the physicians.